Dubai, beyond appearances

Besides shopping malls and skyscrapers, the city-state offers a Serious Face.

Tuesday, November 4, 19 hours. All-Dubai press towards the entrance of the new Sofitel Dubai Downtown at the invitation of the group Accor to celebrate the opening of the third hotel of this brand in the city. After the Palm Jumeirah Island and recently renovated, the new 350-room hotel is for now - because everything is so fast here in town planning - just outside the famous Burj Khalifa Tower.

87000 Rooms

For the occasion, the avenue leading to the entrance took, ephemeral, the allure of Paris Champs Elysees. The long front of the establishment luxury has been dressed mistaken in shops eye to many French brands: Chanel, Hermes, Louis Vuitton, Sephora, to restaurant Consulate, who usually set up shop in Montmartre. At the end of this avenue cinema , proudly an Arch of cardboard where Dubaïotes - in abaya for women and for men thob - come to be photographed. To complete the postcard in the hotel lobby, a beret accordionist plays a refrain to Amelie ...

Sébastien Bazin, head of the hotel group, has made ​​a special trip from Paris to welcome the guests and the owner of the hotel. Dubai remains an important market for the hotel group, as for all the others too: there are now nearly 650 Dubai hotels representing approximately 87,000 rooms, a number expected to double by 2020, when the future World Expo. And these accommodations are far from empty; their occupancy rate is over 85%. A market even more important that Dubai does not want to be the Singapore of the Middle East inevitably associated with superlatives, especially to excess where everything is still "the greatest or highest in the world."

Dubai has no oil and outside of finance, his only source of growth remains tourism. Tourism that has trouble moving from France, although the city-state really does not miss assets. To say with us "I am leaving in Dubai ..." still sounds like a provocation, a travel professional, or a must for a trip to Asia, the Australian or Indian Ocean ... Yet, Dubai has arguments as a vacation destination six hours and thirty minutes by plane, a time difference of only three hours with France an almost perpetual sunshine, heat, desert in range of 4 × 4, a varied hotel and an almost impeccable safety. There, on the other hand, for all tastes and almost all budgets.

One can easily find in pacing the corridors of the Dubai Mall, as have 75 million visitors in 2013. If this side of the globe, it is envisaged few go a full day in a downtown shopping, better there put his prejudices aside. With more than 1,200 shops and a shopping area of around 115 land soccer , all major international names therein. Even the classic department stores such as Bloomingdales, Galeries Lafayette or Marks & Spencer ... The whole floors devoted to fashion , from ready-to-wear for young designers through the prestigious haute couture brands.

Another shopping experience

There's even a shoe level, or an entire floor dedicated to the most famous brands of shoes. No way to do good business, here are highlights a different shopping experience: number of hotels are also directly connected to the shopping center where you can lunch or dinner (it closes at midnight at the end of week), making ice skating on the Dubai Ice Rink, true Olympic ice rink, or admire the giant aquarium where swim 33,000 marine species, including sharks and rays ...

Children are rather spoiled with Kidzania city at their level where they can perform one of the 80 professions offered to them, fireman surgeon or mechanic. It is also this mall, nerve center, which can be accessed at the Burj Khalifa, for up to the ^124th floor in less than a minute and enjoy the view to cut the breath offered by the platform form, partly discovery of the city.

Dubai is also The Palm, this palm-shaped islands, which have led, at any speed, villas and hotels Disney inspiration, in the image of Atlantis and its 1,539 rooms and 176 suites. First hotel resor t artificial island, fascinates with its setting: a monumental sculpture Murano glass Dale Chihuly US occupies the lobby. A giant aquarium with 60,000 fish is the joy of visitors which also includes a visit to the clinic in fish.

Warehouses transformed into galleries

For seven years, the fair Art Dubai has also become a major artistic event. It was at this time also qu'Abdelmonem Alserkal, a great collector, had the idea to recycle vacant warehouse, for installing galleries and workshops for young designers in the image of what was happening in Shoreditch in London or in the Meatpacking New York. Today this area, located in the Al-Quoz area, has more than twenty galleries worth it devotes a visit.

Finally, as to attract new customers, more inclined towards the well-being , the city has embarked on a major project - a more- in the Jumeirah district. A walk by the sea where onlookers can walk peacefully. But as here, things are never done by halves, it will make 20 km long and its coating will tartan.

LOG BOOK
Before leaving
Some books in English refer as Dubai. The Story of the World's Fastest City, journalist Jim Krane of the AP, dating from 2009, and available at iBooks format and Kindle for about 6.50 euros.
Guide side, there was a very original Uncommon Dubai, English Uncommon LTD editor. Sold 35 euros, it is a collective work written under the leadership of a young Palestinian director and poet, 36, Hind Shoufani.
And also released this year: Dubai, fashion for employment , Editions Gallimard, 180 pages, 14.90 euros; A great weekend in Dubai, Hachette tourism, 144 pages, 9.90 euros; and Oman and United Arab Emirates, Lonely Planet, with a large section of Dubai, 318 pages, 21 euros.
Getting there
From Paris, Air France offers a daily flight from 484 euros. Airfrance.fr .
Staying
Sofitel Dubai Downtown. 350 rooms including 16 suites with spa and pool, just opposite the Dubail Mall and Burj Khalifa. Much more oriented recreation and family , the Sofitel The Palm offers stays in a Polynesian atmosphere, rooms, suites and villas according to the budget. Sofitel.com
To see Atlantis, the city hotel. Atlantisthepalm.com
In the historic district of Al Fahidi, XVA Art hotel & cafe ( Xvagallery.com ) and Majilis Gallery ( Themajilisgallery.com ).
In the district of Al Quoz, Alserkal Avenue. Alserkalavenue.com .
At Jumeirah, the famous Burj Al Arab hotel. A note that Jumeirah, one finds, if you 're not in a seaside hotel, a whole series of free beaches.